Several months have passed since the June symposium, however I am hoping that the good feelings from the event linger on. The symposium, with its theme of "Group Work in Communities: Breaking down Barriers, Building Global Connections" was filled with inspirational plenaries, a rousing choir performance, and many invitational and workshop sessions. It provided an opportunity to place a spotlight on group work and to join together to learn from one another. We had approximately 300 attendees, representing group work around the globe, from South Africa to New Zealand; Western Europe to North America. Sessions were held in English, French and Spanish.

And while many organizations take time off in the summer, IASWG's committees and work groups were busy attending to a variety of issues vital to group work and to the organization. The organization is examining ways to continue to grow and be accessible internationally, through looking at increased translation of materials and our website, graduated fees for symposia, and development of additional chapters around the world.

One particularly active committee has been the Nominations and Election Committee. If you are a member, you will receive a ballot with a very strong slate of eight nominees. We value your input and look forward to seeing the results of the vote for the three members-at-large positions on the IASWG board.

Our chapters have been hard at work. On the side bar of this e-blast you will find a number of events that are happening in chapters. We encourage you to attend these local events and to support the local chapters.

There are also other important items to consider. There is a call for papers for a special issue of the journal, Social Work with Groups. The issue is devoted to "The Creative Practitioner" and is seeking articles about the use of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy.

There is also an invitation to submit innovative proposals related to group practice, teaching or research for endorsement or limited seed funding through our SPARC program.

The IASWG symposium planning committee would like to announce the theme for our next symposium, which will be held June 17-20, 2020 in New York City. The theme is: "The Climate is Ripe for Groupwork: Creating Connections and Restoring Hope in a Fragmented World." Please mark the date and watch for the call for papers.

IASWG is a volunteer organization which runs largely through the work of its board and committees. Any IASWG member can volunteer to work on one of our committees. We have been using online technology to conduct our meetings, which makes them quite convenient to attend. The list of committees can be found on the website. Please consider joining us.

On a sad note, we recently lost a devoted group work researcher, educator and mentor, Professor Maeda Galinsky. We also just heard about the passing of Sonia Leib Abels. Sonia was a social worker who had a long association with IASWG. She joined the organization from its inception and made many presentations at symposia. Sonia was married to Paul Abels, a past President of IASWG.

On a final note, the recent protests organized by young people on the theme of climate change have been very inspiring. I have heard interviews about the need for bonding together to bring about social change, the use of the term, 'strength in numbers' and the passion that comes from working as a large group. Indeed, the climate is ripe for group work. Let's all work together to keep group work (and the planet) alive!

Barb

Barbara Muskat, PhD, RSW

IASWG President